"Oh jeez, Denny, I don't know. It's late and I really should be getting home. I'm tired and I have to get up early tomorrow", Cindy said, still with a smile. She was trying to be nice. She had been trying to be nice for the last four hours though, and it was starting to get old.

Cindy Wagner was the nicest, most beautiful, most talented, most all around wonderful woman to ever graduate from Montclair High School ... at least in the eyes of Dennis "Denny" Roshellen. Denny, who was now adamant about being

called Dennis, had been in love with Cindy since 1st grade (about 25 years earlier). Cindy was always nice to Dennis, knowing of his "secret" crush on her. They ran with different crowds in high school. Cindy was a cheerleader who dated the quarterback. Denny was in the band, and was founder of the "remote control car club", the "Startrek: Next Generation Fan Club", and the "magic club"
"Please Cindy, it's Dennis now. And it will just take a few minutes, and it will feel real nice, I promise you", he pleaded.
Cindy could have read a lot into that comment, but she knew Denny didn't mean it in any kind of weird way.
He hadn't really hinted towards any of that stuff on their "date" all night, which was a relief to Cindy. She was only here to be nice, and to sort of break the ice. She had just finalized her divorce three months ago. When Denny found out, he immediately asked her out. She always found him sweet, and knew she'd have to get in the swing of going out on dates again, so she accepted. She knew it wouldn't go anywhere,
but that was kind of the point.
The night was nice. He took her to dinner. Told her about his work. He actually did quite well. Some sort of computer repair or something. He listened to her, even when she went on a little too long about the divorce. He kept correcting her when she would call him Denny, but other than that, he had turned out to be quite normal. He had actually gotten somewhat good looking as well.
Even with all that though, there was just no real spark for Cindy. It was hard for her to imagine kissing Denny Roshellen. She just wanted to end the night cordially and go home.
But he had walked her into her house. She didn't really invite him, but it wasn't like he had forced his way in or anything. It was more a case of being blind to the signs that she didn't want him too. It was when they were inside that he started telling her about this new part of his magic act. He had mentioned that he did an act every year at his company's annual Halloween Party. Anyway, what he was describing was hypnosis. Cindy didn't want him to try it on her. Not because she was afraid, she didn't think for one second that it would actually work. It was more because she wanted the night to be over. Unfortunately for Cindy, she was too nice to effectively make that statement to him.
"Will it take long?", she asked, praying he would get the hint.
"Only if you want it to. Plus it can help with some of your bad habits if you want"
"Like what?"
"Umm, biting your nails. I saw tonight that you still do that. You've been doing it for 25 years"
"That's true, especially lately"
"Great, so you'll do it?"
"Ok, Denny, I'll try once. But if it doesn't work on the first try, I'm calling it quits, ok?"
"It'll work. No one can resist the suggestive
power of Dennis the Magnificent!", he said.
Cindy laughed, though Denny wasn't joking. He pulled out a pocket watch that he had obviously waxed, polished, and buffed with great detail. It really sparkled, even in Cindy's dimly lit living room.
Cindy's cheeks actually hurt from trying to keep a straight face.
Denny was unfazed. He took a deep breath, and got ready to begin what he had been fantasizing about for 16 years.
Cindy hoped it wouldn't take long.

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